The Meaning of Psalms 143:5 Explained

Psalms 143:5

KJV: I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

YLT: I have remembered days of old, I have meditated on all Thine acts, On the work of Thy hand I muse.

Darby: I remember the days of old: I meditate on all thy doing; I muse on the work of thy hands.

ASV: I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy doings; I muse on the work of thy hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I remember  the days  of old;  I meditate  on all thy works;  I muse  on the work  of thy hands. 

What does Psalms 143:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 143:1-12 - The Cry Of The Thirsty Soul
This psalm falls into four stanzas of three verses each. Complaint, Psalms 143:1-3. Though the enemy has resorted to unwarrantable violence, David realized that his past had been by no means immaculate. The holiest have least confidence in themselves, Job 9:3; Philippians 3:7. Bernard of Clairvaux said: "So far from being able to answer for my sins, I cannot answer even for my righteousness." There is no judgment or condemnation for those who are in Christ, because they were judged in Him. Now God's justice is on our side, 1 John 1:9.
Depression, Psalms 143:4-6. Those capable of the sunny heights are capable of the lowest depths. Memory, meditation, and musing often lead to melancholy. But reach out after God. To thirst for Him is to have Him. To desire is to possess. Entreaty, Psalms 143:7-9. Hear me; cause me to hear; cause me to know; deliver me. Docility, Psalms 143:10-12 : We can trust ourselves absolutely to be led by God's Spirit, because He is good and He brings the soul out of trouble into the land of uprightness, Romans 8:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 143

1  David prays for favor in judgment
3  He complains of his grief
5  He strengthens his faith by meditation and prayer
7  He prays for grace
9  For deliverance
10  For sanctification
12  For destruction of his enemies

What do the individual words in Psalms 143:5 mean?

I remember the days of old I meditate on all Your works on the work of Your hands I muse
זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי יָמִ֨ים ׀ מִקֶּ֗דֶם הָגִ֥יתִי בְכָל־ פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ בְּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ אֲשׂוֹחֵֽחַ

זָ֘כַ֤רְתִּי  I  remember 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
יָמִ֨ים ׀  the  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מִקֶּ֗דֶם  of  old 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶדֶם 
Sense: east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime.
הָגִ֥יתִי  I  meditate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: הָגָה  
Sense: to moan, growl, utter, muse, mutter, meditate, devise, plot, speak.
בְכָל־  on  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
פָּעֳלֶ֑ךָ  Your  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.
בְּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה  on  the  work 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יָדֶ֣יךָ  of  Your  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אֲשׂוֹחֵֽחַ  I  muse 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שִׂיחַ  
Sense: to put forth, mediate, muse, commune, speak, complain, ponder, sing.